Memorial for a Dear Friend

Prof. Chesler placed this ad in the New York Times. We join her in mourning a special human being.

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Prof. Phyllis Chesler, 06/04/14 00:58

Prof. Phyllis Chesler

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Prof. Phyllis Chesler

The writer, a Shillman-Ginsburg Fellow at the Middle East Forum and recipient of the 2013 National Jewish Book Award, is the author of sixteen books, including Women and Madness, Woman's Inhumanity to Woman, and The New Anti-Semitism. She has written four studies about honor killing, Her latest books are An American Bride in Kabul, (Palgrave Macmillan) and Living History: On The Front Lines for Israel and the Jews.Professor Chesler may be reached at her website www.phyllis-chesler.com

Rivka Haut, beloved mother, sister, grandmother, and teacher, died on March 30, 2014, after a short battle with cancer. Haut was the world's leading agunah activist, the co-author of four books, including Daughters of the King, Women of the Wall, Shaarei Simcha: Gates of Joy, and a forthcoming book about agunot, religiously chained women whose husbands refuse to grant them a divorce.

Haut was a pioneer of all-women's prayer groups and an Orthodox Talmud teacher.

On December 1, 1988, Haut organized a women's prayer service at the Western Wall and an international committee for Original Women of the Wall.

She was married to Irwin Haut for 37 years until his death in 2001. Rivka is survived by her daughters, Sheryl Haut and Tamara Weissman, her six grandchildren and her sister.

Haut will be loved and missed by the many people whom she helped and inspired.

Editor's Note: One does not have to agree with someone's opinions or even all of their deeds to appreciate that he or she was an extraordinary human being, one whose caring and ability were evident in all of her activities. The Agunah problem, for example, is one that we both tried to improve, I as former head of Emunah, and Rivka in her way.